A Few Times or For a Few Times: Which One Is Correct?
A common question among learners of English is whether to use for when talking about how many times something has happened. This post will clarify the correct usage with plenty of examples.
When Not to Use For
In English, we do not use for when indicating the number of times something has occurred. This applies to expressions like once, twice, three times, several times, and a few times:
✅ I've been to London once.
❌ I've been to London for once.
✅ The heating system has been checked twice this month.
❌ The heating system has been checked for twice this month.
✅ He played football three times last week.
❌ He played football for three times last week.
✅ They've visited us several times this year.
❌ They've visited us for several times this year.
✅ We've watched that film a few times.
❌ We've watched that film for a few times.
When to Use For
For is correctly used to indicate the duration of an action or state, not the number of occurrences. Here are some examples:
✅ We talked for a few minutes.
✅ The typhoon lasted for several hours.
✅ He's going to stay in Toronto for three days.
✅ They travelled through Europe for two weeks.
✅ I've been living in Hong Kong for over fifteen years.
Summary
To avoid mistakes:
- Do not use for when stating how many times something happens.
- Use for when referring to how long something lasts.
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Examples from the Media
We were kind of destroyed the next morning. The old man was outside the house, on the front porch. Derek seemed surprised to see him out front and cleared his throat a few times, saying good morning and introducing me quickly. —Toronto Star (2017)
There are few things worse than trying to engage in conversation someone who plainly does not want to talk to you. As a teenage boy, I went through the pain barrier several times while trying in vain to get a girl interested in me or anything I had to say. —The Guardian (2024)
As I was drafting this week's Work Therapy, my six-year-old daughter, who's just starting to read, came and sat beside me and asked what the word was that I'd written three times in a row in all caps. I asked her to have a go at it. She did and was shocked when I told her that she'd got it right. —The Sydney Morning Herald (2023)
Robert Fico was shot five times, an act of violence that left Slovakia's populist leader "fighting for his life" and the country reeling. —The Washington Post (2024)
If your asparagus has gone limp, don't worry—soaking it in cold water for a few minutes can revive it. —Otago Daily Times (2024)
An 11-year-old girl is sharing a joke every day for a month in memory of her grandfather, who died from pulmonary fibrosis earlier this year. —Belfast Telegraph (2022)
Real-World Examples of Misuse
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| Since is used to specify the starting point of an action or state that continues into the present, connecting it with a specific moment in time (e.g. since 2005). In contrast, for indicates the duration of an action or state, used with a period of time (e.g. for a few minutes). The phrase for many times is incorrect; instead, many times alone is used to indicate frequency (e.g. I have been to Japan many times.). (Source: Ying Wa Primary School) (Also by the Same School: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7) |
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